JFK
Available for Production
INSTRUMENTATION
Large Orchestra
2(II=picc).2(II=corA).2(I=E-flat, II=bcl).1.dbn-2.2.2.btbn.1-timp-perc(2)-harp-keyboard 1 (pft).keyboard 2 (cel, synthesizer with volume pedal)-optional onstage rockabilly banda (piano, bass, drums)-onstage harmonica in F-10.7.5.5.3
CHORUS
Yes
ROLES
14 Singers
JOHN F. “JACK” KENNEDY (Baritone) – President of the United States
JACQUELINE “JACKIE” BOUVIER KENNEDY (Mezzo Soprano) The First Lady
REPORTER (Tenor)
CLARA HARRIS (Soprano) - Clotho, the spinner, present as a hotel maid
HENRY RATHBONE (Tenor) - Lachesis, the allotter, present as Secret Service agent
ROSEMARY KENNEDY (Soprano) - Jack’s sister
NIKITA KHRUSCHEV (Tenor) - Prime Minister of the Soviet Union
JACKIE ONASSIS (Mezzo Soprano) - a dream manifestation near the end of her life
LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON (Bass Baritone) - Vice President of the United States
BILLIE SOL ESTES (Tenor) - Texas Business Man, “Wheeler-Dealer”
RALPH YARBOROUGH (Baritone) - United States Senator
JOHN CONNALLY (Baritone) - Governor of Texas
RAYMOND J. BUCK (Baritone) - Ft. Worth Chamber of Commerce
JIM WRIGHT (Bass) - Texas Congressman
Atropos, the cutter (optional) - Silent Role
DURATION
120’
An Opera in 31 Moments (performed with one intermission)
HISTORY
Commission by Fort Worth Opera and ALT: 2012
World Premiere: April 2016
Fort Worth Opera | Fort Worth, TX
Canadian Premiere: 2018
Opera de Montreal | Montreal, Quebec
European Premiere: 2019
Staatstheater Augsburg | Germany
“They have captured the national sorrow and shock of that time.”
JFK explores the final twelve hours of the 35th president’s life and time spent in Fort Worth, Texas. But far from being a musical biography, JFK is a portrait of a precipice. The fleeting moments of hope before a cosmic page turned, optimism faltered, and America was forced into a new and uncertain era. The opera is a portrayal of the man as we project our hopes, dreams and fears upon him. It explores the sense of profound loss we still feel. It presents the innermost struggles of a fragile human, fated to an early demise, as time presses ever forward. And though the opera identifies with the emotions of President and Mrs. Kennedy, it is also our story. Drawing us ever closer to our destinies, and to that final moment, real or imagined.
COMPOSER AND LIBRETTIST’S NOTES
JFK delves into the hours President John F. Kennedy spent in Fort Worth, Texas immediately before his assassination in Dallas, exploring the inner life of the President and Mrs. Kennedy during their final moments together. While we conducted extensive background research into these figures and events, the opera is not a historic document and does not depict the assassination. As with our chamber opera, Dog Days, this work departs as far from reality as the truth requires.
Restless in the Presidential Suite at the Hotel Texas in Fort Worth, as two of the three fates guide the Kennedys toward the impending tragedy—a third fate awaits in Dallas—they drift into sleep. In vivid dream states—both natural and narcotic—the opera explores the subconscious of this complicated couple, examining their physical and emotional pain, their joy and love, and their metamorphosis into American myth.
Drawing on real details of the Kennedys' final night, the opera uses dreams to create an imaginary time and space, allowing the couple to revisit those who helped to shape their personal and political lives. Jack travels to the moon with his sister Rosemary, where he spars with political rivals, and relives his courtship of the demure Jacqueline. Jackie sings a duet with her future self, Jacqueline Onassis, who dresses her in her iconic pink Chanel suit, assuring her that she has a part to play in the day’s proceedings. Time is flexible in this drama; fate is not.
JFK is a portrait of a precipice. The fleeting moments of hope before a cosmic page turned, optimism faltered, and America was forced into a new and uncertain era. The opera is a portrayal of the man as we project our hopes, dreams and fears upon him. It explores the sense of profound loss we still feel. It presents the innermost struggles of a fragile human, fated to an early demise, as time presses ever forward. And though the opera identifies with the emotions of President and Mrs. Kennedy, it is also our story. Drawing us ever closer to our destinies, and to that final moment, real or imagined.
Media
Perusal Materials Available Upon Request
Press
“Sensitively written, beautifully intimate.”
“A triumphant work.”
“JFK is bizarre and captivating, filled with gorgeous singing, acting and visuals.”
Interested in licensing this opera? Visit our Licensing and Materials page to start an inquiry!